


The Post-Elevator Us

by Calico_Cat_TIVA_Fan



Category: NCIS
Genre: All the breadcrumbs from season 10, F/M, Family, Romance, season 10, they belong together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-15
Updated: 2018-05-18
Packaged: 2019-04-23 10:41:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 12,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14330727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Calico_Cat_TIVA_Fan/pseuds/Calico_Cat_TIVA_Fan
Summary: Season 10 was chock full of breadcrumbs of the TIVA relationship. This multi-chapter work expands on them and will be part of a set of five stories that add to the story of our favorite couple. Part of the "You Complete Me" universe.





	1. Best Friends

The Post-Elevator Us

_Set in season 10 between Episode 1 "Extreme Prejudice" and Episode 21 "Berlin," because all of the 'breadcrumbs' in the season were just begging to be expanded upon._

Chapter 1: Best Friends

Ziva David watched her partner, and best friend, as he carried the tray with their lunch order to the table where she had already placed their beverages, two straws and some napkins. They had stopped at a Chinese fast food place for lunch on the return trip from Petersburg to the DC Navy Yard. Gibbs had sent them on an early morning trip to question the sister of a murdered Navy SEAL.

Tony put the food orders on the table, his teriyaki chicken and Ziva's chicken with snow peas, and then put the tray on the stack of other trays near the trash bin. His stomach growled as he sat down and Ziva snickered at the sound.

"Sounds like we got food just in time," she laughed. Tony's eating habits were the subject of many jokes and much ribbing among his teammates, but he laughed with them. He would have preferred a pizza with pepperoni, sausage and double cheese, but no pizza place was nearby.

They ate in silence, making eye contact and talking with their own eye language. Every so often, one would take a bite of food from the other's plate, smiling the whole time. It was nothing new to them; they did it all the time, to the consternation and confusion of the rest of the team.

"Penny for your thoughts, Ziva," Tony had noticed Ziva staring at him. She smiled, and took a bite of his teriyaki chicken, as she thought about how to word the thought that had been swirling in her head since this morning, when Tony had placed his hand on hers as they drove from DC.

"Um, I, um, well, I was thinking about the new, post-elevator us," she started.

'US! She said us!' Tony's thoughts focused on the word.

"I really like that we are sharing things, and opening up to each other. You know that you are my best friend, yes, Tony?" Ziva was having trouble with the feelings that were inside her. She really wanted to say how she felt, but the words stuck in her throat.

"And you are my best friend, Ziva." Tony grinned at her, that thousand watt grin that only she got to see. How she loved that goofy face, and the man it belonged to. If only she could tell him so!

"Good, I really like being with you, Tony, and I…" Ziva was cut off by the ring of her cell phone. She glanced down at it, and said, "Gibbs," as she swiped the screen to answer. "David. Yes, Gibbs."

She listened, and then replied, "We are in Richmond, eating some lunch. We are just finishing up and should be on the road in less than fifteen minutes."

She listened some more and then spoke again, "I will tell him, Gibbs." She put the phone down on the table, as Gibbs had disconnected the call in his usual abrupt manner. "Gibbs says that Senior dropped off a large box for you. It is on your desk."

Tony nodded, and wondered what Senior had dumped on him this time. Probably a stack of unpaid bills or junk that Senior was too lazy to dispose of himself. He would most likely end up tossing everything in the trash if it was more of Senior's accumulated junk.

The two finished their meals and refilled their drinks to go. Tony held the door for Ziva and then opened the car door for her. "Toda, Tony." Ziva brushed her hand on his as she sat down in the passenger seat. Her hand felt as though an electric current had passed through, as it always felt when she and Tony touched. She pictured his hands on her skin as he walked around to the driver's side of the car.

Tony felt Ziva's hand brush his; it was like she had passed an electric current to him. It always felt that way when he and Ziva touched, and he liked it. He imagined his hands caressing her skin, in all kinds of places as he walked around to the driver's side of the car.

Tony eased the car back into I-95 northbound traffic, and set the cruise control. He rested his right arm on the center console. Ziva looked sideways at his hand, so close, so easy for her to put her hand on his. Could she do it? She placed her left hand on top of his hand. The contact between them was felt by each as an electric current.

Tony turned and smiled at Ziva and then turned his hand palm upward and interlocked his fingers with Ziva's. She smiled back at him and gently squeezed his hand. Tony lifted their joined hands and gently kissed the back of Ziva's hand. To her, it felt like he had lit a thousand little fires on the back of her hand.

Tony felt as though his lips were buzzing with electricity. Her hand, his lips; he let his mind drift to his lips on her arm, her shoulder, her face, anywhere on her body. He grinned, and Ziva noticed.

"What, Tony?" She asked him innocently, knowing full well he was most likely picturing his lips on her body.

"Just thinking about the other night, and where my lips tasted you." He squeezed her hand in his. "Delicious is all I can say." Ziva smiled, remembering the feel of his lips on her skin. They rode in silence, hands interlaced until the traffic slowed down north of Quantico.

"I hate to let go of your hand, Ziva, but this traffic is going to be brutal." Tony really would rather have stayed holding her hand. They inched along until the junction with the DC loop. Tony headed towards the Navy Yard, and since the traffic on the surface streets was light, he took Ziva's hand in his again.

The two were still holding hands when the guard waved them through the security gate. Tony parked the car, and they grabbed their backpacks from the back seat. Tony walked by Ziva's side, and she took his hand in hers. He looked at her questioningly, and she nodded. "We like to hold hands; let's just do so when we want!" So, hold hands they did, through the front entrance, past the security check at the front desk, and into the elevator. At the team's floor, they walked out still holding hands.

Gibbs and Tim were at their desks, Tim working on his computer and Gibbs reading a report. Both looked up when Tony and Ziva entered their work area, both noticed the pair holding hands, and both chose to say nothing. Tim was secretly happy for his teammates; they deserved to be happy together.


	2. I Want to Hold Your Hand

Chapter 2: I Want to Hold Your Hand

Tony moved the rather large box from Senior off his desk and he and Ziva sat down at their respective desks to work. After about fifteen minutes, Gibbs asked them what they had learned from the sister. Ziva put the information she had retrieved on the sister on the plasma. Seems the sister had been behind on most of her bills and was days away from being evicted from her apartment, when a large sum of money had been deposited into her checking account. All the sister had told Tony and Ziva was that she had fallen on hard times and then things got better. No mention of the seventy thousand dollars that had been deposited in her account. Tim began tracing the money to find from where it had come.

Ziva passed the remote to Tony, brushing her fingers on his hand and then along his arm. She stood right next to him as Tony showed the information he had pulled up on the dead SEAL's best friend, who was also the sister's ex-husband. The ex had a rap sheet that stretched back to age seventeen, and Tony would bet that he had a juvenile record as well. The ex had been convicted of robbing a jewelry store, but most of the stolen jewelry had never been recovered. The ex had also been part of a theft ring that stole popular automobiles and took the stolen vehicles to a chop shop. Very little of the money from the chop shop had been recovered.

Tim found routing information on the large deposit and put that on the plasma. It had come through several gateways, but the source was an account that had both the dead SEAL and the best friend/ex as account holders. "Chop shop or jewelry heist? Or both?" Tony handed Tim the remote and dropped his hand to his side. As he did so, Ziva interlaced her fingers with his and as Tim presented the other information on the bank accounts, Tony and Ziva held hands.

"This deposit, for about twenty grand, was made two days after the jewelry store heist. And this one, for close to fifty grand was made a week before the chop shop was raided and shut down. It's looking like both were the source of the money." Tim knew they still had to get proof, but the ducks were lining up for the investigation. He went back to his computer to see if he could find more information on the two deposits.

Gibbs told the team to head on home for the day, since the time was now 1930. Tim shut down his computer and headed out. Tony and Ziva shut down their computers, and Ziva asked Tony, "Pizza?" He nodded his head in agreement, and took Ziva's hand in his own, interlacing their fingers. She smiled at him and they walked to the elevator holding hands and looking at each other. They nearly walked into Gibbs as they got to the elevator.

He looked at his two agents and pointed to their interlocked hands. "Post elevator us," Tony and Ziva said together.

"Anything you aren't telling me?" Gibbs asked. Both shook their heads to the negative. Gibbs smiled and nodded at them, "See you in the morning."

Tony pressed the elevator call button, and Ziva squeezed his hand in hers. "Did Gibbs just give us his okay?"

"I think so," Tony was still trying to figure out the whole conversation with Gibbs that had just transpired. Not many words were said, but the unsaid spoke volumes.

The elevator doors closed and Ziva smiled again, "Good, because I like holding your hand."

"Ditto," Tony grinned at her. "And, I wanna hold your hand," he sang the line from the Beatles song to his best friend. Ziva giggled at him, and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

They got to the ground floor and Ziva reminded Tony about the box Senior had left on his desk. Tony decided the box could wait until tomorrow, telling Ziva he would much rather have pizza and watch a movie with her.

Tony stopped at their favorite pizza place and they picked up a large pizza with pepperoni, sausage, extra cheese, mushrooms and black olives. The next stop was Ziva's apartment, where she picked out a movie to watch as Tony got some plates from the kitchen. He grabbed two beers from the fridge. Ziva chose "Space Balls" and put the DVD in the player. "We need some laughs tonight." She explained her choice to Tony.

They finished the pizza and the beers as they watched the movie. Ziva moved closer to Tony and cuddled into his side. He wrapped his arm around her and she took his other hand in hers. "Mmmm, I could stay like this forever," she purred into his ear.

Tony traced his fingers on her arm lazily, anything to touch Ziva. He liked having her close to him; it felt right. He kissed the top of her head, letting her curls tickle his face as he breathed in her scent. How he loved the smell of her, and the woman herself. If only he had the courage to tell her how he felt.

After the movie, they got ready for bed and snuggled together in Ziva's queen bed. Tony was on his back and Ziva was curled into his side, with his arm around her. She had her head on his chest, over his heart. They often fell asleep this way, and woke up spooned, with Tony's arm over Ziva protectively.

"Laila tov, Ziva."

"Good night, Tony."


	3. Friday

Chapter 3: Friday

Tony poured the coffee into two travel mugs as Ziva poured the fruit and protein smoothies into insulated tumblers. Breakfast ready, they headed out to the car to drive to the Navy Yard. Until this morning, the SOP had been to drive in together, but then enter the building separately. They had already decided the post elevator them would walk in together, holding hands if they wanted.

Each grabbed their coffee and Ziva took Tony's hand. He interlaced his fingers with hers, and they walked to the NCIS entrance. Tony held the door for Ziva and followed her through the security check. She waited for him to step through the scanner, and then took his hand as they walked to the elevator. There were four others waiting for the elevator who worked on lower floors than the MCRT. Tony and Ziva went to the back of the elevator car, since they would be the last off.

The pair held hands the whole time, and when the last of the other riders got off two floors below the MCRT floor, Tony pulled Ziva to him and brushed his lips on hers. She leaned into the kiss and he pressed his lips to hers. The two did not notice the door opening, and Gibbs standing there.

Gibbs cleared his throat and the two broke their kiss. "Keep it off the job." Gibbs got on the elevator as Tony and Ziva got off, still holding hands. As they entered their work area, Ziva gave Tony a quick peck on the lips and they dropped hands.

Tim had pretended to be working at his computer but was really watching the two. He was happy for them, and hoped Gibbs' rule 12 would be forgotten in their case. He smiled to himself as he recalled the lines he had written about "Agent Tommy" and "Agent Lisa" in his latest book; almost exactly what was happening in real life!

Tony walked around his desk and nearly tripped over the box that Senior had left the day before. He sat down, and scooted his chair to the box. He lifted a flap and saw a blue plush bear on top of the items in the box. He quickly shut the flap, not wanting others to see the contents. This one would have to go home to be opened and sorted through. The bear had brought back a flood of memories that needed to be put back in the memory vault until after work. He sent a text to Ziva, 'Remind me to take the box home tonight.' He looked over and she nodded.

The day was uneventful and passed quickly for a Friday. Tony was secretly glad the weekend was one of the team's no call weekends. He could have a clear head to deal with the box and its contents. He and Ziva waited until the others had left to carry the box out to the car. He stowed it in the back seat, and they headed back to her place. She planned to make lasagna and garlic bread for dinner.

Tony put the box in the corner of the living room, and they both changed out of work clothes into jeans and t shirts. The pair went to the kitchen to prepare the lasagna and bread for the oven. Ziva wrapped the garlic bread in foil and placed it on the baking sheet. The lasagna was in the oven and she had set the timer to remind them to put the garlic bread in to bake in forty five minutes.

Tony poured them each a glass of wine, and the two went into the living room. Tony looked at the box, and decided to wait until after dinner to reopen the memories that came along with the contents of the box. Ziva looked at him and in the direction of the box. "After dinner," Tony said.

Tony turned on the TV and flipped through the cable channel guide, looking for something to watch while they were waiting for dinner to be ready. He settled on a rerun of 'The Simpsons.' Ziva was sipping her wine and watching him. She wanted to continue the conversation from the day before, that was interrupted by Gibbs' call, but again the words stuck in her throat. 'Why can't I tell him how I feel?' She was closer to him than to anyone ever in her life, she wanted to be with him, and she loved him.

Tony picked up his wine glass and turned to Ziva. She had been watching him, and looked as if she was trying to say something, but having difficulty. He made eye contact with her, and smiled. She smiled back at him and raised her glass in a toast. He raised his glass, and each took a sip of wine.

'Why can't I just tell her how I feel?' Tony just couldn't get the words to come out of his mouth. He loved everything about her, she was his best friend, and he couldn't think of anything better than being with her. He moved closer to her on the sofa, and placed his free hand on hers. He moved his thumb over the back of her hand, watching her the whole time. He could get lost in her eyes, those beautiful chocolate orbs that spoke volumes to him.

Ziva placed her wine glass on the coffee table, and then took Tony's and placed it next to hers. She moved closer to him and put a hand on his face. She brushed her lips across his, and he pulled her to him, deepening the kiss.

They were interrupted by the sound of the kitchen timer to remind them to put the garlic bread in the oven. Ziva broke the kiss and got up to head to the kitchen. Tony grabbed the wine glasses and followed her. He set the glasses on the table and also put out forks and napkins for the meal. Ziva slid the pan of garlic bread into the oven and set the timer for fifteen minutes. Tony came up behind her and snaked his arms around her waist. He nuzzled her neck, inhaling her scent of jasmine and vanilla.

Ziva leaned into Tony's embrace. She basked in the feel of his arms around her and his nearness. The oven timer sounded again, and Ziva picked up the oven mitts and took the lasagna and garlic bread out of the oven. Tony pulled a bread knife from the knife block and sliced the garlic bread while Ziva cut and served the lasagna to plates for each of them. Tony split the slices of garlic bread between the plates and Ziva carried them to the table. Tony refilled their wine glasses, and then held out Ziva's chair for her. "Toda, Tony."


	4. Omelets, Kisses and Laughter

Chapter 4: Omelets, Kisses and Laughter

After dinner on Friday, the pair had watched a movie and then spent the next two hours exploring each other's bodies and savoring their intimacy. The box from Senior was forgotten in the heat of their passion, as they left a trail of discarded clothing between the living room and the bedroom.

Tony woke before Ziva on Saturday morning, and quietly slipped out of bed and went to the kitchen. He started coffee brewing and decided to make a farmer's omelet for breakfast. He got eggs, milk, cheese, diced ham and precooked bacon from the refrigerator, then chopped onions and tomatoes. He mixed everything together and poured the mixture into a cast iron skillet. He placed the skillet in the oven and then took four of the biscuits Ziva had made last weekend from the freezer to reheat.

Ziva came into the kitchen to the smell of food and coffee. Tony was taking the omelet and biscuits out of the oven. He grinned at her and put the pans on the stove top to cool slightly. She walked over to him and kissed him. "Good morning, sleepy head," Tony returned the kiss.

"Perhaps we should eat breakfast before it gets cold, yes?" Ziva murmured between kisses. Tony nodded his assent and kissed her one more time and then turned to get plates to put the food on, as Ziva set out forks, knives, and glasses of orange juice and mugs of coffee. They sat side by side at the breakfast bar and ate their meal. Ziva rested her bare foot on Tony's foot, just to have the contact with him. Tony speared a forkful of omelet from Ziva's plate, smiling at her, and popped it into his mouth. Ziva leaned into him and whispered, "The next bite has to be earned with a kiss." Tony could see the mischief in her eyes.

Ziva kissed him and took a forkful of food off his plate. As she put the food in her mouth, Tony grinned at her, "I like this game…" He waited for her to swallow, then leaned in and kissed her while taking another forkful of food from her plate. She kissed him back before he could put the fork in his mouth and took her forkful from his plate. She raised her fork and Tony took the food into his mouth without warning. He held up his forkful for her. Ziva laughed and took the food into her mouth.

'I love the sound of her laugh,' Tony could listen to Ziva's laugh all day. When they were alone together, she let her guard down and laughed and smiled a lot more than when with others. He knew he would do whatever he could to hear her laugh and see her smile.

Tony took a big bite of his biscuit and then held the resulting crescent shape up for Ziva to see, "Look, a big smile just for you." Ziva laughed again, and grabbed his hand and took a bite out of the biscuit, making him laugh.

'I love the sound of his laughter when he lets his defenses down,' Ziva could listen to Tony's genuine laugh forever. She leaned over to him and kissed him again.

They were just about finished with breakfast and had started kissing each other hungrily. A sharp rap at the door interrupted them. Ziva adjusted the ties on her robe, and went to see who was at the door. Tony took the plates to the dishwasher.

Ziva peered through the peephole and saw Abby. She opened the door, and the goth rushed inside. "Ziva, did you forget that we are going to the carnival with Tim and Tony?" Abby looked at Ziva's robe. Tony came out of the kitchen at that moment, clad in his sleep boxers. Abby's eyes widened and she looked at each of them again, "Ok, what are you two not telling us? Oh my gosh, I have to let Timmy know you are not at your place, Tony. Are you two, like, together? How long have you been living together?" Abby's questions were almost nonstop.

"Abs," Tony had to almost shout to get her attention. "This is the post-elevator us, me and Ziva." Tony moved to Ziva's side and drew her to him. "Yes. We are together. And, yes, we forgot about the carnival."

Ziva added, "Let us get dressed and then we can go. That will give Tim enough time to get here as well."

Abby nodded as Tony and Ziva moved to the bedroom to get dressed. She grabbed her phone, speed dialing Tim. "Timmy, you are never going to believe this, yes, you are, I mean, it's about time…"

"Abby, slow down." Tim was trying to make sense of what Abby was saying.

"Get over to Ziva's place, now. Tony is here, as in it looks like he's living here. They weren't dressed yet when I got here." Abby was excited and happy for her friends.

"WHAT?" Tim nearly shouted into his phone.

"They're together, McGee. Get over here and see for yourself." Abby was nearly squealing now.

In the bedroom, Tony and Ziva could hear every word Abby said to Tim, not that it bothered them. Abby was excited for her friends, and an excited Abby was next to impossible to calm. Tony grinned at Ziva, and she smiled back, "Abby will always be excitable Abby!" They each put on jeans and lightweight sweaters, allowing for the fall day. Tony leaned in and gave Ziva a kiss as they moved to the doorway.

As they went into the living room, Tim knocked on the door. Tony went to let him in as Ziva and Abby packed a tote bag with snacks and bottles of water. The four got into Tim's car and headed to the carnival. Ziva and Tony sat in the back seat, and held hands the whole time. Abby kept glancing back at the two and smiling.


	5. Fun at the Carnival

Chapter 5: Fun at the Carnival

Tim parked the car in the field across from the carnival grounds. Even though the group had gotten to the carnival just as it was opening for the day, the parking was filling up fast. The beautiful weather probably contributed to the popularity of the carnival that day.

At the main gate, they each purchased an unlimited rides and attractions bracelet and a $30 food pass. It would be easier to use the bracelet and pass rather than having to pay for each ride and food purchase individually, and both offered a substantial discount over pay as you go. Abby spotted the roller coaster immediately and urged her friends to go with her on the ride.

The line was moving quickly and the four were helped into the second car of the ride. Tony and Ziva sat in front of Abby and Tim. Tim was hesitant to get on the ride, but after urging and prodding from Abby, he relented. He hoped he would not regret the decision. Tony leaned over to Ziva and whispered in her ear, "I hope Tim doesn't get sick." Ziva nodded. Tony and Ziva interlaced their fingers and joined hands as the ride started moving. As the car came to the top of the first hill, Tony kissed Ziva and then sat back for the downhill rush. He watched her hair flying behind her as the wind blew her curls. He heard Tim make a sound that was a combination of a scream and a moan. The force of gravity pushed them back against their seats, wind rushing through their hair. Ziva squeezed Tony's hand and he looked at her grinning at him.

The final climb was the highest point on the coaster and Tony again kissed Ziva at the top of the hill just before they took off down the track. The final loop had them upside down for a short time and Tim moaned loudly. At the end of the ride, Abby was wound up, wanting to go again. Ziva and Tony took one look at Tim and decided that they needed to find a tamer ride for now. Poor Tim was looking rather pale and as though he might be sick to his stomach.

Tony pointed to the bumper cars, and asked Tim if he felt up to the ride. Tim nodded; anything other than a roller coaster was fine with him. Ziva took Tony's hand in hers as they walked to the line for the bumper cars. Abby was behind them walking with Tim and she commented to Tim that Tony and Ziva looked so cute together. The line for the bumper cars was moving slower than that for the roller coaster. Abby people watched from her spot in the line and commented to the others about some of the people in the line and passing by the group. Tony and Ziva half paid attention to Abby's chatter; they were looking at each other and shutting out the rest of the world. Tony leaned towards Ziva and kissed her. Abby squealed, "Oh, you two are so cute together." Tim met Tony's gaze and rolled his eyes, causing both of them to laugh. Ziva had seen the eye roll and joined in the laughter.

The group was finally at the head of the line, and they climbed into the bumper cars. Abby chose a black car, Tony chose a blue one, Ziva picked a red car, and Tim climbed into a green car. Abby zoomed her car out into the others in the center, ramming into both Tony and Tim along the way. Ziva and Tony chased Abby, while Tim went after a yellow car that had rammed him into Abby. Ziva made eye contact with Tony and without words, the pair worked together to get Abby's car trapped in a corner. By the end of the ride time, all four were laughing and working together to chase other cars and trap them.

They exited the ride and Tony spotted a pretzel vendor. He led the group over and ordered pretzels and lemonade for all of them. Each one presented their food card. The four friends took their snack to one of the tables. As they ate, they discussed which rides and attractions to visit next. Ziva and Tony both wanted to ride the Ferris wheel and the carousel. Tim and Abby wanted to visit the house of illusions, and Abby still wanted to ride the roller coaster again. Ziva also wanted to try the Tilt-a-Whirl. Tony and Tim spotted the go carts on the map and wanted to try that ride. All wanted to try the skill games, but they decided to do that last.

On the Ferris wheel, Tony and Ziva sat in one car together, and Tim and Abby were in the car ahead of them. At the top of the ride, Tony drew Ziva into a kiss, locking his lips on hers. She fused her lips to his and they kissed all the way to the bottom, when they had to exit the ride. Abby saw them kissing and after she and Tim exited their car, she snapped some pictures of Tony and Ziva with her phone.

On the carousel, three of the horses on the perimeter of the ride had double saddles. Tony and Ziva climbed onto one of the double saddle horses, Ziva in front of Tony. Tony wrapped his arms around Ziva. Abby and Tim were on the two horses behind them. When the chute came out to try for the brass ring, Tony and Ziva each grabbed a ring on the first pass, and two more on the second pass. Abby had missed the first round, but got one on the second round. Tim was on an inside horse, so he didn't get a shot at grabbing a ring. Ziva's second ring was a brass ring, and when the ride ended, she got to pick a prize. She chose a blue teddy bear. The bear reminded Tony that he still had the box of stuff from Senior to go through. Tony's first ring was a white ring, which earned him a free ice cream sundae at one of the food vendors.

In the house of illusions, they all laughed at the distorted views of themselves in the hall of mirrors, and Tony drew Ziva to him and kissed her in front of one of the mirrors, just to see what the reflection showed. Both laughed and Abby snapped another picture of the two. In the room with the heat sensors, Tim was surprised at the indication of red (lots of heat) from Tony and Ziva's linked hands and how the red and then orange image traveled up their arms and shoulders on the sides where they held hands. Abby asked the two to kiss and turn towards each other, and the entire image from head to toe between them was red and orange. Ziva laughed at Abby's reaction, and Tony laughed with her. He whispered in her ear, "We do know that we generate electricity and heat between us…" She nodded, and tried not to blush.

"Holy cow, you two!" Abby was speechless for once, not knowing what to say without getting herself into a jam, or risk making the couple angry at her.

"Post-elevator us!" Tony and Ziva laughed.

At the go carts, the four lined up at the starting line, and raced around the track. Ziva won by almost two cart lengths, with Tony next, then Tim and Abby last. Ziva smiled at them, and Tony commented that if Ziva hadn't won the race he would have been surprised. She won a free ice cream sundae at the same vendor as Tony's prize from the carousel.

At the food vendors, Tony and Ziva got slices of pizza, Tim got two hot dogs with fries, and Abby found a fish and chips vendor. After their lunch, they tried their skills in the games. At the shooting booth, Ziva knocked over the three pyramids of cups in three shots, and won an MP3 player. Tony made all six shots at the basketball free-throw game and he won a compact digital camera. Tim snagged a black and white stuffed skunk at the toy crane which he handed to Abby. Abby hugged the skunk and gave Tim a kiss on the cheek, causing him to blush. "Thank you, Timmy."

The last ride was the tunnel of love. Tim and Abby kept walking, and Tony called out to them. "We're going on this ride. We'll meet you after by the house of illusions." Abby smiled and exchanged glances with Tim. Tim turned to Tony and gave the thumbs up, and he and Abby went to the bowling skill game.

Tony and Ziva got a swan car to ride in for the tunnel of love. They sat side by side with Tony's arm around Ziva as the ride started. She turned to him and brushed her lips on his. Tony fused his lips to hers, and drew her to him. Neither one saw the displays and scenes along the ride, and they were still kissing each other when their swan stopped at the end of the ride. "To be continued," Ziva spoke softly to Tony. He kissed her once more, "And more, at home."

The two met Abby and Tim near the house of illusions, and Abby showed them the hat she had won at the bowling game. Ziva laughed when Abby put it on Tim's head, making him turn bright red in embarrassment. Tony got a picture on his phone of Tim in the jester's hat in neon colors.

The sun was starting to set, and the group headed to the food vendors to get some dinner. Tony and Ziva also noted the location of the ice cream vendor to get their sundaes. Tim got a turkey leg, Abby found a food seller with "salad in an edible bowl," and Tony and Ziva got philly cheese steak sandwiches. Tony got large chocolate shake to split with Ziva. The four sat at a table in the food area and people watched and remembered the day's activities. Tony and Ziva went to get their sundaes and Abby found the funnel cake vendor. Tim decided to get an ice cream cone.

As the lights came on for the night time activities at the carnival, the four friends headed to the exit. Abby tried to get Ziva to walk with her instead of holding Tony's hand. Ziva shrugged at Tony and he nodded to her to go with Abby.

"So, what's it like kissing Tony? What's it like dating him?" Abby asked Ziva. "Is he a good kisser? Is he good in bed?"

Ziva blushed, "Abby, that is too personal. Besides, I do not kiss and tell. Tony is my best friend, so we are not dating. We are spending time together as friends."

Abby looked at Ziva, "NOT dating? What do you call all that hand holding and kissing? Hmmm? And he is practically living at your apartment!"

"ABBY! That is enough," Ziva was annoyed with her friend and did not want to answer her questions. "Tony and I are adults. We can do adult things when we want without telling everyone what we did."

Abby squinted at Ziva, "Okay, you just answered my question anyhow."

Tony had been listening to Abby's questions to Ziva and was glad Ziva had answered the way she did. No one needed to know what they did on their own time. Tim looked at Tony, "Are you really living together?" Tony shrugged, and said nothing.

The four got into Tim's car, Ziva and Tony in the back seat, and headed back to Ziva's apartment. Ziva leaned her head on Tony's shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her and kissed her curls. Despite Abby's nosy questions, the two had a fun day and enjoyed the time together. They got out of Tim's car and said good night to Abby and Tim. Abby's pout made Tony think she expected to be invited in, but he and Ziva really wanted some time to themselves after spending most of the day with her.

Once inside, Tony pulled Ziva to him. "Now to continue what we left off at the tunnel of love." He kissed her hungrily, and she pressed herself into his body. The trail of clothing led to the bedroom as they undressed each other.


	6. Plans for a Day Spent Inside

Chapter 6: Plans for a Day Spent Inside

Ziva was the first awake on Sunday morning. She started the coffee brewing and made some chocolate chip muffins for breakfast, one of Tony's favorites. He came out to the kitchen just as she was taking the muffins out of the oven. His hair was all standing up, and Ziva laughed. "Pork – u – swine!" Tony laughed with her, both remembering when Ziva had first been with the MCRT and she could not remember the correct word when Tony's hair was all spikey.

Ziva put the muffins on the cooling rack and turned to Tony. "Good morning," she kissed him full on the lips and pulled him to her. "We have a few minutes while the coffee finishes and the muffins cool." She eyed him seductively. He responded by picking her up and carrying her back to the bedroom, where he removed her robe. She had on nothing underneath! She pulled him to her and slid her hands down to his waist and removed his sleep boxers.

Forty five minutes later, they walked into the kitchen to get breakfast. Tony poured cups of coffee for each of them while Ziva put the four muffins on plates. "What do you want to do today Ziva?" Tony asked her as she sat down next to him at the breakfast bar. Staying in was fine with him since they had been out most of the day before with Tim and Abby.

Ziva looked at Tony, "Do you mind if we stay in for the day?" Tony grinned at her and commented that she must have read his mind. She grinned back at him, "Then we do not need to get dressed, yes?"

Tony waggled his eyebrows at Ziva and laughed, "I like the way you think, woman! Spending the day with my best friend, nearly naked… OOOOHHH, YEAH!"

Ziva pulled Tony to her, and kissed him, fusing her lips to his. Tony put his arms around Ziva drawing her to him. They moved from the breakfast bar to the hallway and again Tony lifted Ziva into his arms. He swung around to head to the bedroom and her feet kicked the blue bear that she had won at the carnival to the floor. Tony froze, staring at the bear.

"Tony, what is wrong? Tony?" Ziva could see that Tony had a faraway look and in his eyes was panic. "TONY!" She put her hand on his face, turning him so that he could look at her. "TONY! WHAT IS WRONG?"

Tony focused on Ziva, "I… had… a flashback… to…" He looked at Ziva's eyes, and she saw tears forming in his. "The blue bear… memories… in the box…"

"The box from Senior?"

"Yes."

"Put me down and let us go sit on the sofa. Tell me about it." Ziva looked into Tony's green eyes, slightly scared at the raw hurt and emotion she saw there. He put her down and bent over to pick up the bear. He held it out, looking at the face of the bear. Ziva had the impression that Tony was seeing ghosts.


	7. The Box

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Expanding on the comment about a box from Senior in 'Shell Shock Part 1'

Chapter 7: The Box

Tony sat on the sofa with his coffee mug in his hands. Ziva watched as emotions flitted across his face, and then as he tried to bury them. He was failing miserably at hiding the raw emotion. "Tony," Ziva spoke quietly and gently. "I am here ready to listen when you are ready to talk." She placed a hand on his knee.

Tony stood up and brought the box from the corner of the room. He set it in front of where he sat on the sofa and stared at the flaps. Did he really want to go down this memory lane? He remembered words he had spoken to Ziva not so long ago: ' _Bottling it up hurts you; talking it out gets it out_.' Could he share this with her? Yes, he could; the post-elevator them shared.

Tony lifted the box flaps and took out the blue plush bear that was on top of the other stuff. He held it in both hands, and gently stroked the soft spot on its belly. Ziva watched him; this bear had some special meaning. She could also see why the bear she had won would trigger the memories. The two bears were nearly identical except that the one Tony was now holding was clearly well loved and worn from being held and loved by a child.

"My mom got me this when I was about three. She won it for me at a street fair. I slept with it every night. Mom always tucked me and the bear in and told me a bedtime story. When my father was home, after I had started school, I would hide the bear in a box under my bed so he wouldn't see it. He said that I was too old to have teddy bears when I was five. I hated when he was at home because he found fault with everything I did.

"When my mom died, I held my bear for three days straight. Dad threatened to take it away, so I hid it in a shoe box in my closet. Only the string of nannies and I knew that I still slept with this bear every night. It was like having my mom back near me. Dad came home drunk after one trip where he had been away for almost four months. I was about ten or eleven. He came in late, and I was asleep. He came into my room and saw me holding the bear. He grabbed it away from me, telling me to man up. I cried for my bear until the nanny found it in Dad's desk after he left for another long trip.

"When he sent me to boarding school, he had my entire room redone from paint on the walls to furniture to carpets. He took all of my toys away, including the bear and I never saw them again until the other day when I opened this box in the squad room. It was like he had stripped away every item and connection to who I was before I left for the first boarding school."

Tony pulled the bear to his chest and held it there. Ziva watched with tears in her eyes. Senior had been as cruel to Tony as Eli had been to Ziva when she was forced to give up all her toys to train for Eli. She put her hand on Tony's arm, and slowly stroked with her fingers. Tony looked at her with tears in his eyes. She opened her arms to him and he leaned into her hug, putting his head on her shoulder and letting the tears fall.

After about ten minutes, he sat up and wiped his face. He looked in the box and saw that almost all of the toys he remembered that Senior took away were in the box. His Batman cape, his bright yellow Tonka trucks, the plastic cowboys and Indians, soldiers and spacemen, and his old Kodak Instamatic camera were all there. Even his other stuffed animal, a small turtle, was in the box. Down in the bottom were some of his board games: Monopoly, Clue, Risk, and his first chess set. Underneath the games was a large envelope. Tony pulled it out of the box and placed it on the coffee table.

Ziva had moved to Tony's side, her leg touching his to let him know she was there for him. He drew strength from Ziva's presence and nearness. He knew that she cared just by how she touched him. He opened the envelope and dumped the contents on the table: photos, postcards, grade school report cards, a card made by Tony for his mother, and the bracelet that was on newborn Tony were among the contents.

Tony picked up the baby bracelet. "DiNozzo, baby M" it said on one side. On the other side were his birth date and time, plus his weight and length. He handed the bracelet to Ziva. She looked at the information, and commented, "Twenty-one inches long and eight pounds, fourteen ounces. You were a big baby." She smiled at him, and thought, 'I wonder if our children will be big babies.' "Why does it say 'baby M'?"

"Mom and Dad argued over my name; she wanted Anthony D. DiNozzo, Junior. Dad wanted to name me Carmine, after his grandfather. I'm glad Mom won that argument!"

Tony looked over the pictures, trying to put them into chronological order. He found several of himself as a baby, including one with a big toothless smile. Ziva commented that his smile had not changed one bit over the years. She liked the picture of toddler Tony sitting on his mother's lap, a big grin on his face and a sparkle of mischief in his eyes.

A picture of three year old Tony with the blue bear made Ziva smile. Tony was dressed in a sailor outfit, and he had the bear hugged to his chest. He was grinning his classic grin at the camera. She noticed that the bear was still by his side as he looked through the pictures.

Tony's kindergarten report card had some interesting comments, and 'NI' (needs improvement) grades. In the skills for kindergarten, the 'NI' appeared for all four grading periods in three categories: listens when others are talking, shares appropriately, and follows directions. Both Tony and Ziva laughed at that. "See, I was ALWAYS that way! Gibbs should see this," Tony joked. The comments section had the best one yet: 'Tony often shares references to movie plots when asked to contribute to the class discussion.' Ziva laughed out loud.

In his first grade picture, Tony was missing his two front teeth on top, but his hair was still lighter than currently, almost a blond color. In the later elementary school years, his hair had darkened to the current brown color. One comment from his fourth grade report card had them both laughing: 'Tony is an intelligent boy, but he forgets that he should find something quiet to do, such as reading a book, when his assignments are finished. Throwing paper balls and paper planes is not acceptable.'

In the school pictures from grade three and higher, Tony was wearing a tie and suit jacket. In the boarding school pictures, the jackets had the school crest on the left chest. Ziva noticed there were four different crests in the six pictures. "I got kicked out of three schools," Tony explained.

The card that Tony had made for his mom, a birthday card, showed two figures at a movie theater. He had printed 'I love you, Mom. Happy Birthday.' on the inside and signed it 'Anthony D. DiNozzo, Jr.' On the back, written in ink, was a date and Tony's age. Tony ran his finger over the writing, his mom's, and fell silent. Ziva watched him, and after seeing the date, realized that must have been the last birthday that his mother had been alive. She took his hand in hers and kissed the back of it. Tony looked at her, and whispered, "Thank you."

Ziva helped Tony put the pictures back in the envelope and they moved the box back to the corner. Tony picked up the two blue bears and put them side by side on Ziva's bookshelf, so that it appeared that the bears were holding hands. Ziva smiled, "Is that the post-elevator us?" Tony nodded and grinned, and then drew Ziva to him.

"Where were we when I got distracted?" He kissed her and led her to the bedroom.


	8. Keeping It Off the Job

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playing with canon for "Shabbat Shalom"

Chapter 8: Keeping It Off the Job

Over the next several months, Tony and Ziva continued to spend all of their time outside of NCIS together. Most of the time, they were at Ziva's apartment, occasionally at Tony's. Anyone other than them would say that the two were living together, in two apartments. The two came to work and left work together, held hands in the elevator to the MCRT team's floor, and shared kisses in the elevator, break room and other places when they were alone. They were very careful to respect Gibbs' admonishment to "keep it off the job," even if that meant not getting caught.

At home, they were constantly in each other's space; touching the other, cuddling, making love, kissing. When they were in contact, both felt as though they were one, grounded in the other. On weekends when the team was not on call, Ziva and Tony sometimes took an impromptu mini vacation for the weekend. They visited Philadelphia, New York, Atlantic City, Gettysburg, Hershey, Williamsburg, and the North Carolina Outer Banks. By day they would explore the sights at the destination, holding hands and kissing when they felt like it, and by night they explored each other.

Very rarely were they apart during off hours. Each one savored the time spent together, and they shared things about their pasts, their fears, and their enjoyment of the other's company. Each was frustrated with his or her own inability to tell the other about feelings of love. Tony would try to say how he felt to Ziva and choke on the words. Ziva would try to express her feelings of love and almost send herself into a panic attack. Each could see the feelings in the other's eyes, and that exacerbated the frustration with the individual inability to declare feelings of love in words.

At first, Gibbs was wary of sending the two out together, but they more than proved to him that they could remain professional on the job and keep their personal life out of work. The two worked so well as a team that Gibbs was glad they could still maintain professionalism.

That is not to say there weren't a few bumps here and there. One case had two of the suspects openly flirting with Ziva when the team went to question them. Tony moved over to Ziva and put an arm around her, as if to let the two men know that she was his woman and they had better back off from flirting with her. When the two persisted, and one made a comment that Ziva didn't have a ring, Tony got between the guy and Ziva. He gritted his teeth and told the guy to back off or he would be sorry.

On another case, the widow of a deceased Marine had openly flirted with Tony, and even moved close to him. Ziva walked over to Tony and took his hand in hers, and glared at the woman. In no uncertain terms, she let her body language and position let that bitch know that Tony was her man. Afterwards, both Tony and Ziva laughed about it, but Tony was glad Ziva felt that possessive of him. Ziva joked that she was repaying Tony the favor from the prior case.

On a third case, one of the male suspects had tried to grope Ziva and Tony flattened the guy, even before Ziva could react and put the guy down herself. The guy had filed a complaint against both of the agents, but once the video feed from a street camera was brought in, the complaint was thrown out. It clearly showed the guy's hand on Ziva's backside, and the take down by Tony.

For the most part, things went smoothly and the couple kept their relationship off the job. All that changed when Eli David showed up off the radar. Eli had broken into Ziva's Mini and he watched the pair walk across the parking lot hand in hand. He saw Tony pull Ziva to him and kiss her, and then Ziva wrap her arms around Tony's neck and fuse her lips on Tony's. Ziva's ninja senses kicked in as they approached her car, sensing the presence of someone inside the vehicle. Both Tony and Ziva got quiet and drew their weapons.

"Federal Agents. Show your hands." Ziva had her gun aimed at the passenger side of her Mini.

"NCIS. Hands in the air." Tony had his gun aimed on the passenger as he slowly opened the door. The man had on a winter coat and hat and a scarf over his face. As he stood, with his hands visible, he spoke.

"Ziva, call off your lap dog."

"Abba?" Ziva was confused for a minute. "What are you doing here?"

Tony didn't lower his weapon. He did not trust Eli one bit; whatever he was up to certainly had to be nothing good.

Eli looked at Ziva, and nodded as if to dismiss Tony. "I am watching my daughter turn into a weak American. I thought I would get a warm welcome from my daughter and be able to have a normal conversation with her."

Tony still had his gun aimed at Eli. "You gave up any warm welcomes when you left Ziva to die in Somalia." Eli glared at Tony and turned to face Ziva.

"What do you see in this buffoon, Ziva? He is nothing but a weak and sorry clown." Eli was not making Ziva feel all warm and fuzzy with his attitude towards Tony. "Why do you hold his hand and kiss him?"

Tony opened his mouth to tell Eli to mind his own business, but Ziva silenced him with a look. "What I do with my personal life is none of your concern. I no longer report to Mossad and I no longer consider you my father, Eli."

Tony could see the flash of anger in Eli's eyes. He still kept his weapon aimed at the man, not trusting him one iota. He could also see the anger building in Ziva, and hoped that he could diffuse it, if he needed to intervene.

Eli looked at Tony again. "I see your American lap dog is making you weak. What do you see in him, Zivaleh?" Tony took a few steps closer to Ziva, but kept his weapon aimed at Eli. He would not stand down until Eli left or Ziva asked him to stand down. Eli's eyes flashed anger again. Tony instinctively moved even closer to Ziva, their shoulders touching. He resisted the urge to wrap his left arm around her and pull her close. Tony noticed that Ziva had her weapon in her right hand, pointed at the ground, but ready to aim, should she need to do so. He mimicked her stance, keeping his weapon in the same position as she did.

Ziva looked at Eli, making eye contact. She switched her weapon to her left hand, and took Tony's left hand in her right hand. She interlaced her fingers with Tony's and gave his hand a slight squeeze. Tony closed his hand around hers, giving her a slight squeeze in return. What Eli did not realize is that Ziva and Tony communicated more in that small act of interlocking hands than they could with words. Together they would stand as one; together they would tell Eli to go to hell.

"Tony is my best friend. We enjoy being together and doing things together. I cannot imagine my life without him. Abba… Eli… I LOVE him." Ziva let her heart speak, not her head. She felt panic rising and took a couple of deep breaths. Tony squeezed her hand again, a bit more tightly. He knew what he had heard, and he wanted to let Ziva know that he loved her as well, but the words would not come out of his mouth.

Eli, for once, was speechless. He was looking at Ziva as if she were an apparition. His mouth was open but no words came out. He looked at Tony, and then at Ziva. He looked at their joined hands and shook his head. Anger again flashed in his eyes.

"What is your problem, Eli? Don't like your daughter's choices? Well, I really don't care, because I love her and can't even think about being without her." Tony drew strength from his connection to Ziva and her words to her father. "You can leave any time now, and don't bother to come back."

Ziva squeezed Tony's hand. She wanted to tell Tony directly that she loved him, but her voice would not speak. Her words seemed to be stuck in her throat. Both Tony and Ziva were glad that they had managed to voice their feelings, even if it was not directly to the other.


	9. The Shit Hits the Fan

Chapter 9: The Shit Hits the Fan

The assassination of Eli David and Jackie Vance within forty eight hours of Eli's arrival in the States created a whole new bucket of problems. Catching the person or persons responsible became a number one priority for Ziva. Tony promised to be her support system and told her multiple times that whatever she wanted, he would help her get it.

"Revenge. The only thing I want is revenge." Ziva didn't mince words. Even though NCIS was ordered to stay away from the case, none of them would back off from seeking out the killer of one of their own extended family. As much as Ziva was estranged from Eli, he was still her father. She had loved him and hated him at the same time.

That Leon Vance's wife, Jackie, had been an innocent victim of the attack made the MCRT team even more determined to bring the person or persons responsible to justice. Ziva and Tony both wanted to avenge the loss of their mother for the Vance kids. Kayla and Jared were now without a mother; both Tony and Ziva knew that pain all too well.

As Ziva prepared to take her father's body back to Israel, Tony tried to get Gibbs and Vance to sign off on personal days or vacation days so that he could go with Ziva. Unfortunately, Tony was not ready to disclose the real reason for requesting the days off, so neither Gibbs nor Vance knew that his plan was to go with Ziva to Israel. He arranged for Schmeil Pinkhas to fly to DC on short notice, so that Ziva would not be alone on the flight to Israel.

"At lo levad," he had whispered to her when he dropped her off at the airport. How he wished that he could have gone with her. When she hugged him at the gate, he had to fight back tears. He should have told Gibbs and Vance why he wanted the days off.

~TONY~

While Ziva went to Israel, Tony tried to focus on the case the team was working and on why Eli had been targeted. Gibbs could tell Tony was off his game, but said nothing. He figured DiNozzo would seek him out when he was ready to talk.

Gibbs heard the front door open from his basement. He heard the creak of the floor board between the living room and kitchen, and soon, the familiar footsteps of his SFA. He dumped the screws out of a jar, and wiped the inside with his rag. He placed the jar on the workbench and poured about an inch of bourbon into it. He said nothing, just went about his work as though no one were there.

Tony watched from his perch on the fourth step up as his boss poured the bourbon. He knew that the man would not say a thing until spoken to. Even then, he might choose to remain silent, but listening all the same. Tony debated whether he wanted the alcohol or not; for now, he chose to stay put. He watched Gibbs sand the boat hull for several minutes. Finally he spoke.

"I screwed up."

Gibbs nodded, and said nothing. Whatever this was, it had to be pretty important to DiNozzo. The younger man was only at a loss for words when he was hurting deeply.

"Yep; I screwed up this time." Tony wanted give himself a head slap. "I should have gone."

Gibbs looked at Tony and raised an eyebrow. He noticed Tony fidgeting with his hands, very much like Ziva did. Maybe this was even more serious than Gibbs first thought.

"I should have gone with her. I should have told you and Vance why I wanted the time off." Tony was talking to himself more than to Gibbs. "I should have told you what she means to me."

Gibbs picked up the bourbon and placed the jar on the end of the boat hull nearest to Tony. He continued with his sanding, listening to DiNozzo beating himself up. He looked over at his SFA, still fidgeting his hands and looking as though he might actually cry.

"I should be with her. I should be in Israel, helping my best friend bury her father. Helping her not to feel alone. I told her that, you know. I even looked it up in Hebrew. At lo levad. You are not alone." Tony felt as though he was rambling, but he needed to sort through this. "She smiled at me through her tears and hugged me. I should be with her now."

Tony sat staring at the bottom step. He replayed the scene in his mind, seeing Ziva's tears and feeling her hug, feeling how much he loved her and how much she needed him at that moment. He should have just got on that plane with her.

Gibbs watched Tony while he continued sanding the boat hull. The man was an emotional wreck. Love would do that to a man. Crap, maybe he should have let them get together instead of having them sneak around and waiting for them to come to him.

"I really screwed this one up, Boss. How do I fix it?" Tony looked directly at Gibbs for the first time in the hour or so he had been there on the step. "How do I tell her?"

Gibbs made eye contact with his SFA. "Be there for her when she gets back is a good start."

"Would you have let me go if I had told you why I wanted the time off?" Tony had to know.

"Maybe. Would have put us down two. McGee and I would have had to handle the load."

"If I told you that I love her, would it have mattered?"

"Maybe."

Tony was a bit miffed with Gibbs' non-answers. "Dammit, Boss, does anything matter to you? Ziva lost her father; my best friend is hurting, and all you can say is MAYBE?"

Gibbs motioned towards the jar of bourbon he had placed on the boat hull. Tony looked at it and laughed. "Really? REALLY, BOSS? Bourbon does not fix all." He resisted the urge to throw the jar and its contents at the concrete wall. He almost got up to do so, but then figured he would have to clean up any mess he made. Broken glass and alcohol. Sounded about right for how his mind was thinking at the moment. He sat silently on the step for another thirty minutes, staring at the floor, the wall, anywhere except for looking at Gibbs. Thinking about Ziva, thinking about their lives, thinking about how close they had become, thinking about letting her into his heart, thinking about how much he loved her and how the words would not come out of his mouth to tell her so, thinking about how he hurt when she hurt…

"You don't get it, do you?" Tony yelled at Gibbs. "It's not about the job, it's about my life. It's more than that; it's OUR lives, mine and Ziva's. Damn you and your stupid rule 12." He stood up and stomped up the stairs, across the floor, and slammed the front door.

Gibbs downed the bourbon in one swig, "Damn you and your walled off heart, DiNozzo."

~TIVA~

When Ziva came back from Israel, Tony met her at the airport. She just about ran into his arms when she spotted him near baggage claim. He held her close to him, breathing in her scent, not wanting to let go of her.

"I missed you." He whispered in her ear. "I should have gone with you, but I couldn't get the time off."

She touched his face with her hands, "You are here now." She looked into his eyes, "Do not blame yourself for my father's actions, Tony. You could not have known that he had just murdered someone when we confronted him in the NCIS parking lot."

"I should have come to the Shabbos dinner with you. I should have had your six." Tony looked into Ziva's brown eyes, those chocolate brown orbs that pulled him in so easily. "Look at me… here, I told you not to blame yourself, and what am I doing? We are a sorry mess, Ziva."

"Let us go home, Tony. I just want to be with you and hold each other. I need you near me tonight." Ziva nearly started hyperventilating; these feelings of needing someone for comfort were still so new to her, but Tony was exactly what she needed right now. And, she admitted to herself, for a long time to come.


	10. Overwhelmed

Chapter 10: Overwhelmed

Tony and Ziva headed back to home, her apartment, to unwind and be together. Ziva changed into one of Tony's OSU shirts and a pair of sleep shorts while Tony made tea for both of them. The two sat side by side on the sofa, Ziva curled into Tony's side with his arm around her, and sipped the tea in silence. Ziva drew comfort from Tony, his warmth and familiar scent calming her.

Tony also was comforted by Ziva's nearness and familiar scent. He placed kisses on her head periodically just so he could inhale her smell of vanilla and jasmine. Both felt a sense of grounding and calm by touching the other. Tony's anger and frustration with Gibbs, and himself, seemed a lot less overwhelming with Ziva at his side. Ziva's loss, her need for revenge, and the numbness seemed to become smaller as she melted into Tony's embrace. His warmth calmed her, making her feel safe and loved.

They finished their tea and prepared for sleep. Tony stripped to his boxers and snuggled next to Ziva. He put his arm around her as she placed her head on his chest, over his heart, after kissing him good night.

"Laila tov, Tony."

"Laila tov, Ziva."

~OVERWHELMED~

Tony awoke to Ziva thrashing and jerking in her sleep. He quickly realized that she was having one of the nightmares that she had not had in a long time. He moved carefully, not wanting to startle her awake, but also wanting to hold her so that he could comfort her. He wrapped his arms around her, and slowly stroked his hands on her back, whispering in her ear that it was a nightmare and that he was there for her. She continued to move and make sounds as though she was in pain. He held her to him, repeating that he was there to comfort her.

"Ani ohev otach." Tony whispered in her ear. Ziva immediately calmed, and relaxed in his embrace. He continued to rub her back lightly as she woke from the nightmare. He could feel her body losing the tension from the dream.

"Ani ohevet otcha." Ziva murmured. "Ani ohevet otcha." She snuggled against him, feeling his warmth, feeling safe. She fell back to sleep with Tony's arms around her. Tony lay awake, listening to Ziva's breathing even out as she went back to sleep. He wondered if she would remember what they had said to each other when she finally calmed from the nightmare. Would he be able to say it to her when they were awake? Would they be able to say the feelings out loud to each other, in a normal conversation?

The sound of Tony's phone woke them at 0930 in the morning. Tony picked up his phone, glanced at the notification, and groaned, "Abby. I'm going to let it go to voicemail."

"She will keep calling until you answer." Ziva looked at him as he nodded.

"I'll text her in a minute and let her know that I am busy." Tony just wanted to be with Ziva for a while, without interruptions and without anyone else intruding. 'I'll call her back later."

'Busy. Will call back when I can.' Tony sent a message to Abby, and didn't wait for a reply.

He followed Ziva into the kitchen to make some breakfast and then plans for the day. Ziva took some eggs, cheese, and vegetables out of the refrigerator and gave Tony the task of cleaning and chopping the onion, tomatoes, mushrooms, and baby spinach leaves for a farmer's omelet. Before chopping the vegetables, he started the coffee maker. She cooked some bacon and sausage and chopped them. All of the ingredients were put in a pan and Ziva poured the eggs over. She put the pan in the oven and set the timer for forty five minutes.

Tony snaked his arms around Ziva's waist as they waited for their breakfast to cook. She leaned into his embrace, feeling his warmth. He nuzzled her neck, planting gentle kisses as her curls tickled his face. Her scent of jasmine and vanilla comforted him in ways he couldn't explain. Her presence grounded him, again in ways he couldn't explain. "Ani ohev otach." He whispered the Hebrew phrase he had looked up before meeting her at the airport. He still nearly choked on the words, but he had finally said them.

Ziva turned to face Tony, smiling, "Ani ohevet otcha." She leaned in to kiss him and both of their phones rang. At least she had said her feelings, even though the moment was ruined. "To be continued." She picked up her phone as Tony reached for his.

"Gibbs." Ziva swiped her screen to answer.

"McGee." Tony also swiped his screen to answer.

The team was called in to find a cyberterrorist and the op required Tony and Ziva to pretend to take the person they had apprehended to Gitmo. After the op, both went home to Ziva's apartment, drained. They snuggled in her bed, falling asleep wrapped in each other's arms. Early in the morning, they awoke about the same time, and Tony started kissing Ziva. She returned the kisses and the heat between them grew. They made love in the early morning hours, needing the other with a primal need to love and be loved. Afterward, they both fell asleep again and slept until almost 1000 that Saturday. Tony was glad to have his ninja back as his lover. Ziva was glad to be in Tony's arms and feel loved by him.


	11. Gathering Intel

Chapter 11: Gathering Intel

NCIS, and, specifically, Team Gibbs of the MCRT, were ordered to back off the investigations into the murders of Jackie Vance and Eli David. Ziva and Tim McGee started digging for information off the radar from a seedy apartment. Tony was brought into the search when he followed Ziva to the apartment one night.

Orli Elbaz, the new Director of Mossad, had told NCIS that Bodnar was the leader of a group of rogue Mossad agents. Information that McGee and Ziva turned up determined that Ilan Bodnar had acted alone and that the other supposedly rogue agents were, in fact, still active Mossad with no connections to Bodnar, other than being sent to eliminate him.

The "post elevator us" was put on the back burner as Tony, Tim and Ziva gathered information and sought to avenge the deaths. Intel gathered pointed to Bodnar being in Rome. Gibbs was set to send Ziva to Rome with Tony as her backup, until Ziva mentioned her theory to the team only.

Eli had told her to amass diamonds that could be converted to cash easily, especially in the diamond markets in Berlin. That way, if needed, she could go underground without a trace. Ziva believed that Eli would have given the same advice to Ilan. She wanted to head to Berlin to find him. Gibbs told her to take Tony with her.

In Berlin, the pair gathered more information from Adam Eschel, and from a phone call to Ziva's computer from Bodnar. All signs pointed to an exchange involving diamonds at a dance club. Tony and Ziva went back to their hotel room to rest before going to the club.

Shared moments in the hotel room, a very domestic couple's moment, and some time cuddling on the bed were snippets of the time they had previously spent as "post elevator us." Ziva was so focused on getting Ilan to pay for the murders of Eli and Jackie that she closed herself off to Tony somewhat.

At the club, the pair danced to surveille the room, and when Tony told Ziva to relax, she let herself gaze into his eyes. It was as if just the two of them were in the room, in their own world. The case and the reason for being at the club were temporarily forgotten. Their connection was still as strong as ever, although it had taken on a very low priority since things went so terribly wrong. It gave Tony hope that when this was finally resolved, he and Ziva could get back to the "post-elevator us." Ziva also felt that exacting her revenge on Ilan would clear her heart to fully love Tony and move forward with their relationship.

Neither could foresee the hell that was about to break loose, not just in one place, but in almost every aspect of their lives as they currently knew them. Even the one thing that they would have been certain to remain unchanged would be affected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TBC in the next works in the set... Watch for 'Berlin' and 'Aftermath'...


End file.
